Staggering
by abba2zabba15
Summary: Lily/James. "Lily." He choked out, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Lily!" he tried again, but with no reaction. He was terrified. She was bloody, and unconscious, and someone had just blown up the Three Broomsticks. James had to go get help.
1. Chapter 1

"Lily." He choked out, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Lily!" he tried again, but with no reaction. He was terrified. She was bloody, and unconscious, and someone had just blown up the Three Broomsticks. James had to go get help.

Staggering

James grinned as he walked out of the castle. Why shouldn't he be happy? It was early March, the weather was fabulous, the Gryffindor team had just crushed Ravenclaw, 390-40, and it was a Hogsmede weekend. James couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. What James _really_ wanted was to be taking Lily Evans to Hogsmede, but she had, like always, refused his offer. It was driving James barmy.

Padfoot wasn't going to Hogsmede today, because he was stuck in detention with McGonagall. James grinned at the memory. McGonagall was the Marauders' favourite teacher. She didn't put up with their crap, which made her class all the more fun. Sirius especially loved to get on her nerves. What had earned him _this_ detention was calling her 'Minnie', and proclaiming his undying love for her in the middle of an exam.

The best part of this was that Professor McGonagall didn't even bat an eyelash, or look up from her papers. All she said was "Mr. Black, detention this Saturday, 9 in the morning." And continue with her work. Sirius' face was priceless.

Remus was staying at Hogwarts instead of going down to the village because the full moon was two nights previously, and he was a little bit snappy, and exhausted. James was going to stay behind with his werewolf friend, but Moony had flatly refused, and told him to "Go and enjoy your teenage years before we all have to go out into the real world and take care of our own arses."

Peter was going to the village, but he was vague about his plans. He said he was just going to wander around alone, but James didn't believe him. James secretly thought Wormtail was going to meet a girl, and therefore wasn't going to bother his friend.

So James, for the first time in his entire Hogwarts career, was going down to Hogsmede by himself. It was an odd occurrence, and James got many strange looks on his way down. It wasn't as if he cared what people said about him. One good side effect of being extremely cocky was that stares and whispers did nothing to him.

James took his time getting down to the village. Most of the other students had left an hour previously, not wanting to waste any of their privilege time. James, because he was making this trip solo, didn't really mind less time to wander. He had promised Sirius that he would buy him things from Honeydukes and Zonkos, or else he might not have gone down for another few hours.

James was taking the time to really appreciate the scenery of his walk. And then he started walking much quicker, because he realized he was beginning to sound like a girl.

He got to the village at around lunch time, so he decided to grab a quick bite at the Three Broomsticks before getting Sirius' things and leaving. And as he walked into the somewhat deserted pub, he began to think how smart his decision was.

For there, sitting at a table by herself by the counter, reading and drinking a Butterbeer, was Lily Evans, in all her red-headed glory.

James grinned at the opportunity. It was such a rare event that Lily wasn't with her friends, and James wasn't surrounded by his. Sure, Lily may hate him, but maybe if he tried being more himself, instead of the prat that was always trying to impress her, maybe she'd actually _talk_ to him.

James looked around and realized that almost all the students had already left. As he slipped in between drunken wizards, he took a few seconds to admire Lily, ego be damned. She really was quite a sight. Her hair was a vibrant red, with just enough gold in it to make it shimmer in the sunlight. Her eyes, which were currently trained on her book, James knew to be the most startling shade of emerald green he had ever seen. James could get lost in those eyes, and he had on previous occasions, losing all train of thought as soon as her gaze locked with his.

And her figure was not something to sneeze at, either. In fact, James would probably refer to her as a goddess, if he wasn't worried about Sirius taking the mickey out of him.

Lily's body was perfect, though she seemed not to know it. Merlin, that girl even made the Hogwarts uniform sexy. James was convinced it had been specifically designed to be as unflattering as possible, because in a school where students could do magic, the teachers needed all the hormone-protection they could get.

Lily was tall, almost as tall as his 6 feet, and she had legs that seemed to go on for miles. She was thin, but not skin and bones. She had curves that made James' knees go weak. She was also muscular. James didn't know how she did it, because she didn't play Quidditch, but somehow Lily had managed to get a healthy amount of muscle, leaving her toned, but not freakishly buff.

Yes, Lily was perfect, and being in her presence made James' palms sweat, though he would never admit such a thing.

He ran a hand nervously through his hair as he approached her table, making his already unkempt black hair look even messier.

"Hey, Evans," he said, as suavely as he could, given the fact that he could smell her strawberry shampoo, and it was driving his senses mad, "is this seat taken?" he asked, gesturing to the seat directly in front of him.

Lily sighed deeply and didn't even look up from her book. "No it isn't Potter, but I would highly appreciate it if you would go bother someone else with your company."

James smiled and pulled out the chair, sitting down heavily. Lily shut her book and glared at him.

He grinned toothily at her, shooting her a very prominent wink. It was so much easier to tease her and act confident of himself, when really his stomach clenched as soon as he could see her eyes. Merlin, she was beautiful today.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts when he realized she had said something. "Sorry, Evans, could you repeat that? I was a little distracted by your eyes."

Lily looked at him suspiciously. James had never complimented any part of her, and therefore she was a little furtive. Sure, he asked her out, but he never made comments about her appearance.

"What do you want, Potter?"

He shrugged. "Oh nothing, just a Butterbeer, and besides, everywhere else is full." He said, gesturing around at the bar around them. He was completely wrong. There were at least seven open tables in their close vicinity. Lily scowled at him.

She then sighed deeply when she realized it was a lost cause, and Potter would stay there whether she like it or not. So Lily opened her book and tried to go back to reading.

James was just about to open his mouth to ask her what exactly she was immersed in, when Amos Diggory, Hufflepuff chaser, swaggered over to the table. James had never especially liked Diggory because they were Quidditch rivals, but Diggory also was a bit of a prat. And that was coming from James Potter, so you know it _had_ to be true.

Diggory completely ignored James, instead turning his whole body towards Lily and leaning over the table, blocking James from view. James felt his blood boil.

"Hey, Flower." Diggory said, in what James assumed was supposed to be a sultry voice, and failed miserably.

Lily looked up from her book, slightly annoyed. Not only did she hate being interrupted when she was reading, she despised being called 'flower'.

When she saw it was Diggory, she tried to compose her face into a smile, because Amos was a generally nice bloke to her. She managed it fairly well, but for someone who knew her facial expressions and emotions, it was obvious that she was acting. James was just such a person, having spent a large part of his spare time studying the girl.

"Hello, Amos." She said politely. James did not like that she was being polite to him.

"You are looking absolutely ravishing today, Flower. I was wondering if someone as sizzling" James snorted at Diggory's word choice "as you would like to spend the rest of the day with a remarkable Quidditch player."

_Merlin, he's worse than me._ James thought.

"Uhh…" Lily looked about, panic in her eyes, trying to find a way out of the situation. James did not like it any more than she did, so he stood up to his full height (a good 2 inches above Diggory), and tapped him on the shoulder.

Diggory turned around quickly, smug smirk still on his face, but it slipped off when he saw James standing impassively in front of him.

"I believe the lady is here with someone, Diggory. It's very rude to come and interrupt our conversation. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to be rude?"

Diggory paled slightly. "Sorry Potter. I didn't know she was taken."

"Get lost, Diggory." James growled at him, and Amos scurried away.

James sat back down, his blood no longer boiling, but now down to a mere simmer. Lily looked torn between anger and gratitude.

"Thanks Potter, but I can stand up for myself."

James scoffed. "Of course you can. You're Lily Evans. You could hex my arse all the way to America. But admit it; it was fun to watch Diggory squirm."

Lily fought to suppress a smile, but it was futile. She let a smile grace her features, and James was thrilled. It was so rare that Lily smiled around him, and it made him exceedingly depressed. She had such a wonderful smile.

James smiled brightly at her, relaxing a little bit when she didn't immediately order him away from her table. He was once again about to ask her a question, when movement behind her left shoulder caused him to pause.

There was a figure, dressed all in black, standing in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks. James couldn't see his face, because there was a hood casting his whole visage in shadows. The mysterious figure raised its wand, and James' stomach clenched in foreboding. Something about this masked figure made him extremely nervous and… scared. James' eyes widened. He was not used to being scared.

The figure began to move its wand arm, and James knew that it was speaking an incantation. And suddenly, like a vision, James knew what was going to happen. His blood froze in terror.

When he saw a jet of light shoot out of the wand towards the shelves of liquor behind the counter, his vision seemed to move in slow motion.

James acted faster than he thought possible.

He stood up and toppled over the table that was separating him and Lily, sending her drink and book flying. She only had enough time to look up at him, outraged, before he grabbed her and held her close to his body, turning his back so that he was between her and the front of the bar.

At that exact second, the spell hit the bottles of alcohol, and they exploded. James was sent flying forward, with Lily still clutched in his arms. He felt his back get singed by the flames that shot out as a result of the burning drinks, and then he felt glass shatter all around him. He realized, midair, that he and Lily had been sent flying through the window, breaking it completely.

Shards of glass cut at his arms, legs, and face, as he was launched through the air. James had just enough strength to twist before he hit the ground, and land on his back, so that Lily wasn't hitting the rough rocks.

But he couldn't stop them rolling. They tumbled, over and under each other, for quite a few meters. James yelled out as a searing pain shot through his ankle, and he heard a sickening CRACK!

When they stopped rolling, Lily was lying under him. His ribs were in horrible pain, as were his ankle and back. He was sure he had a few broken bones.

He looked down to the girl lying under him, and his heart clenched. Her head was limp, and there was a huge gash right under her hairline, that was spilling shocking amounts of blood down her face. There was blood pooling on her shirt, right above her stomach, and her arm was an unnatural purple colour.

"Lily." He choked out, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Lily!" he tried again, but with no reaction. He was terrified. She was bloody, and unconscious, and someone had just blown up the Three Broomsticks. People were running and screaming everywhere. He could hear people shouting "AGUAMENTI!" and see a steady flood of students running back up to the castle.

James staggered to his feet, wincing and crying out in pain when he put weight on his ankle. James grit his teeth together to block out the sounds he was at risk of making. Lily was still unconscious on the ground, and James had to go get help.

He bent down, hobbling a little, and pulled Lily into his arms bridal-style. She was thin, so she was light, and James was very strong (though he rarely showed it). Carrying Lily wasn't too difficult for him.

He didn't, however, take into consideration his hurt ankle. He tried to take one step, and his leg gave out as soon as he put pressure on it. James fell to his knees heavily.

He bit his lip, and staggered to his feet once again. This time he managed to hobble forward, though it was slow progress. Lily was losing so much blood... James bit his lip harder, drawing blood, and pushed himself faster.

He was feeling faint. He was dizzy, he was sweating from exertion and pain, and his vision was going fuzzy. He was in an incredible amount of pain. He'd never been in this much pain before.

He didn't know how long he staggered with Lily in his arms. Eventually he looked up and saw that they were on the path back to the school. James rounded a corner at his slow pace, and he could see the castle looming in front of him. It was only a couple hundred meters away.

He was struck with a huge wave of pain as he knocked his bad ankle on a stray root, and James had to stop where he was to vomit from the pain. He lost all of his breakfast, and James knew that, had he eaten lunch, he would have lost much more. If it had been any other scenario, James would have been proud of not getting any vomit on Lily, but he didn't even register it, just sucked in a deep breath and kept walking.

He could feel wetness on his hands and felt sick again. It was her blood. It was staining his hands and clothes, but James couldn't stop to think about it.

Lily was getting heavier in his arms, and his steps were more wobbly, less sure. Only a hundred meters to go.

James could see people running around outside the castle, teachers and students alike, and they looked like they were panicking. James tried to call out, but all his strength was being used trying to keep himself upright.

When he was fifty meters away from the castle, he heard a voice call out his name.

"JAMES!"

James looked up and saw Sirius come running towards him, a very pale Remus right behind him.

"JAMES! JAMES!" They called, getting closer to him.

Remus called over his shoulder, "SOMEONE GET HELP! THEY'RE BLEEDING! HELP! HELP!" But his path was not deterred from his best friend. James fell to his knees as his best friends got closer.

He fell backwards; making sure Lily was cushioned against him, as Sirius came running to him, sliding the last few feet on his knees.

"James, James mate, come on James, hang in there, stay strong mate. Come on James." Sirius said, his face directly above James', looking more worried and strained than James had ever seen him.

"Make sure Lily gets help." He whispered, barely loud enough for himself to hear, but he saw Sirius nod.

He had just enough time to think '_She's going to get _help' before the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Staggering

James slowly became aware that he was lying in a comfortable bed. He could not, however, remember how on Earth he had gotten there. There was a strange tingling sensation in his right ankle, and in his chest, directly over his right ribs. His back felt a little sore, and all of his muscles were exhausted.

James didn't want to wake up from his relaxing, dreamless sleep, so he remained completely still, with his eyes glued shut.

Suddenly, James realized what had woken him. There were whispering voices all around the room. The ones closest to his bed were the loudest, and that's what had woken James up.

"Who would attack the Three Broomsticks?" a hushed voice asked, and James recognized it as Professor McGonagall's.

"I don't know, Minerva." A sad, weary voice replied. James was surprised at the emotion he could hear in his Headmaster's sentence.

"Do you think it was Death Eaters?" she asked in a frightened whisper.

"Yes, I do. Voldemort is getting stronger, and I think attacking popular, ordinary places institutes more fear in the public."

There was about half a minute of silence before McGonagall asked, "How lucky are they, Albus?"

"Extremely." Dumbledore responded, still sounding tired. "I don't know how they survived it, honestly."

"And he carried her all the way back here?"

James didn't hear anything, but what Dumbledore said next made him assume that he had nodded. "He had a broken ankle, three broken ribs, cuts covering his arms and legs, and second degree burns up and down his back."

McGonagall gasped. "How did he manage it?"

"I don't know." Dumbledore replied. James could picture the man rubbing his temples, as he often did when he was thinking. "I know many stronger, older wizards who would have collapsed of pain or shock miles before Mr. Potter did. But I think it's safe to say he saved Ms. Evans' life."

James' eyes flew open. "LILY!" he called out, trying to sit up in his bed. He winced in pain and grabbed his ribs, which he now realized were bandaged.

"Professors, he's awake!" James looked to his left to see Sirius, white as a sheet, stand up from his chair.

"Prongs mate, are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Where's Lily?" he asked, head whipping back and forth, trying to find any sign of her red hair. "LILY!" he yelled again, once more trying to climb out of his bed. Sirius shoved him back down.

Suddenly Dumbledore was by his bedside, McGonagall at his elbow. Both Professors looked extremely nervous and tired.

"Where's Lily?" he asked his Headmaster, and Dumbledore pulled the curtain away from the bed next to James'.

He relaxed and slumped back into his bed when he saw her peacefully sleeping. She had a bandage on her forehead, and her arm was in a sling, but otherwise she looked healthy.

"Is she alright?" he asked in a meek voice.

Dumbledore nodded. "She's just fine James, just fine. She has a rather large cut on her head and stomach, a minor concussion, and her left arm is broken, but she's just fine."

James breathed a sigh of relief. Lily was okay, she was alive, and she was going to be fine.

"I need to ask you some questions, Mr. Potter."

James nodded. "You sure she's going to be okay?" He asked, his nerves still wound up.

"Your concern is very touching, Mr. Potter. Yes, she's going to be 100% healed. So are you, in case you were wondering." James nodded, but he wasn't at all worried for himself.

"In the blast, you received three broken ribs, a broken ankle, severe burns on 12% of your body, and lacerations on most of your limbs." James nodded again. That would certainly explain why he hurt so badly.

"Mr. Potter, I would like to ask you how exactly you survived that explosion."

"What do you mean? Did everyone else die?" He asked, his stomach clenching in fear and panic.

"Oh no! No, my dear boy, everyone made it out. However, none of the other people in the pub were standing where you and Ms. Evans were. You see, alcohol is quite a tricky substance. It is highly flammable, and when it does ignite, especially in the quantities you can find in the Three Broomsticks, it often explodes, which I'm sure you're aware of. Very few people were standing quite as close to the liquor as you and Ms. Evans, and therefore most of the customers were merely launched off of their feet as a result of the explosion. Quite a few of them have cuts, a few sprains, a handful of broken bones, but it appears that you and Ms. Evans were in the worst possible place to stand. I would like to know what happened."

"Well… you see Professor…" James looked around, unsure of how to start. But seeing Sirius, nodding encouragingly at him and Dumbledore's calm, yet intense blue eyes, James took a deep breath and started on his story.

"I went into the pub to have some lunch, and I saw Lily in there, alone. So I decided to go over and talk to her. After a few minutes of… talking…" James paused on the word, because it was really more like arguing, "she went back to reading. I was about to ask her a question, when I saw someone in the doorway."

McGonagall stiffened. James gathered that this was news to both of them, however Dumbledore remained impassive. "I couldn't see their face, I couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman, but I saw them raise their wand. All of a sudden, I knew that something horrible was going to happen. So I flipped the table, grabbed Lily, and turned so my back was to the alcohol, and she was protected. The pub exploded, and Lily and I were thrown forwards, and through a window.

"We hit the ground pretty hard, and started rolling. When we finally stopped, I saw that she was bleeding and unconscious. I was in a pretty substantial amount of pain, but Lily was bleeding so much, and I was so worried. So I stood, picked her up, and started walking back here. It took me a few tries to be able to walk without falling, but I did it. And… here I am…" he finished, rather lamely.

Dumbledore seemed awed, which is an expression that hardly ever crosses the old man's face. "Mr. Potter, did you not think that there were plenty of adult witches and wizards who could have assisted you in getting Ms. Evans to the castle?"

James looked surprised. "No, I was too worried about her."

"Well then did you realize that you walked two miles, on a broken ankle, with a seventeen year-old girl in your arms, which could have resulted in irreversible damage to yourself?"

James shook his head, casting his gaze downward, and looking sheepish.

"Did you realize that you quite possibly saved this girl's life?" Dumbledore asked, in a much softer and kinder tone.

James brought his head up quickly, eyes bulging.

"Yes Mr. Potter. Had you not gone into the Three Broomsticks when you did, and without your quick thinking and bravery, it is completely possible that Ms. Evans would have died in that explosion."

James' mouth fell open in a comical "O". Dumbledore chuckled.

"I'll leave you to rest. We have contacted both your parents and Ms. Evans' parents, and both are on their way. Yours should be here within moments. Merlin help whoever tries to stand in the way of two trained Aurors as highly successful as your parents." Dumbledore said with a wink as he left James' bedside. James merely stared after him, before looking over to see McGonagall still by his bed. He was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"Professor?" he asked, a little nervously.

"You are a true Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. I am very proud of you." She said, before wiping her eyes quickly and attempting to return to her usual demeanor. "100 points to Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

James' eyes bulged, and he turned to look at Sirius, who looked just as shocked.

McGonagall turned on her heel, and left very briskly. James and Sirius looked at each other for a few seconds, too shocked to speak.

"Well, who would've thought you almost dying would get us so many points? We should try and kill you more often, Prongs." Sirius said, trying to joke, but only ended up sounding a little strained.

James laughed lightly.

Suddenly, he was being knocked back into his bed as Sirius hugged him tightly. "I was so worried, Prongs. Thank Merlin you're alright. Who knows what I would have done without you?"

When the hug started to head away from concern and into hazy gay territory, Sirius pulled away, looking down and blushing.

Sirius shook his head, and muttered, "You had to be the hero, didn't you? I swear Prongs, you have quite a 'saving-people-thing'." James smiled sheepishly at his best friend.

Suddenly the Hospital Wing doors flew open with a BANG, causing both James and Sirius to jump in surprise.

There, standing and looking very flustered and anxious, was Mrs. Potter, her husband right behind her.

"James Potter!" she yelled, and it sounded to James like she was extremely angry with him. He winced a little, bracing himself for the scolding he was sure to get, but it never came.

Mrs. Potter flew across the room and threw herself on top of her son, sobbing her eyes out. It took James a few seconds to realize she was _relieved._ He patted her back awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. He looked to his right and saw his dad, tears of happiness and relief in his eyes as well.

"It's okay Mum, it's okay." He muttered, unsure of what to say. "I'm okay. I'm just fine, Mum." She just wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

Finally, after a few minutes of crying and soothing, she finally pulled herself off of her only son and sat in Sirius' chair, which he had quickly vacated to give the hysterical woman somewhere to relax.

"What happened, James?" She asked, fussing with his hair a little, and looking critically at his face, which he knew must be pretty cut up.

He told them the whole story of the person in black, the explosion, the injuries, and the staggering miles to the castle with Lily in his arms. When he was done, Mrs. Potter was crying again, but silently. He looked to his father to gauge his reaction, and was surprised by what he saw. Mr. Potter was not crying, nor was he sad, or angry. He was _proud._ James had never seen his father look so proud in his life.

He ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "James, you are an honorable man, and I have never been more proud to call you my son."

James smiled wider than he thought possible.

"Where is she, James?" his mum asked, and James turned his gaze to the bed next to his. Lily was still asleep, which he was a little thankful for. She deserved her rest.

Mrs. Potter stood up and walked over to Lily's bed. She bent over the red head and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You must be some girl, Lily Evans." She whispered, just loudly enough for James to hear. He had to smile.

Mrs. Potter went back to her chair, and grasped her son's hand, right as the Hospital doors crashed open for a second time.

This time, two unknown people were standing in the doorway. Both looked awed, terrified, confused, nervous, and close to hysterics, all at the same time.

James took in their appearances in a fraction of a second. The woman was beautiful, there's no doubt about it. She looked like she was in her early to mid-forties, and the man looked about the same. She had kind brown eyes, and a smooth, easy-going face, that was right now creased with worry-lines. She was about average height, but that was not her most striking feature. She had long hair, a beautiful mix of red and golden, that shone in the light.

The man had greying hair, but he too had quite a handsome face. Very well-proportioned, and quite a strong build, this man was not one to be messed with. He was tall, a few more inches than James. His eyes were a striking emerald green.

Without a doubt, these two people were Mr. and Mrs. Evans. They looked so very much like Lily, especially Mrs. Evans, that at first glance James was a little shocked to see Lily's face with those brown eyes. But he knew Lily was lying on the bed next to him, because he could see her out of the corner of his eye.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans were making their way swiftly towards their daughter, concern and relief overtaking their faces.

Mrs. Evans crouched down next to her daughter's head, and started brushing the hair out of her eyes. "Lily," She whispered, "Lily, wake up. Mum's here, Lily. Oh please wake up; I need to know you're alright."

Lily's eyes fluttered, and James' heartbeat sped up. Now he would know for sure that she was fine.

"James?" She asked sleepily. James' heart was doing somersaults in his chest. _She had said his name first!_ He could hardly believe it.

"No, no it's Mum, Lily." Her mother said, obviously nervous that her daughter didn't recognize her.

"Mum?" she asked, blinking her eyes and brining the world into focus.

"Yes, yes it's Mum." Mrs. Evans practically sobbed in relief.

"Where's James?" She asked. "Is he okay?"

"I'm here, Lily." James said, getting the attention of Lily and both of her parents.

Lily threw back the covers and staggered up and over to James bed. He struggled to sit up, saying as he did so, "No, Lily, lie back down, you're hurt…"

But his words were silenced as she kissed him. It wasn't a very passionate kiss, and James knew it was probably just in thanks, but that didn't mean he didn't love it. His heart stopped, and then fluttered back into use. He was stunned.

Lily pulled away, and looked directly into his eyes. "James Potter, I owe you my life. Thank you."

Mr. Evans came up behind his daughter. "Are you the boy who brought her back here?"

James looked nervous. "Yes sir."

Mr. Evans grabbed James' hand and shook it heartily. Mrs. Evans came over and kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you, James. You saved our daughter's life."

James blushed. "It really wasn't anything…" he muttered, trying to hide his face.

Right at that moment Madame Pomfrey walked over to check on them. "How's that ankle, Mr. Potter?"

Lily's eyes flashed. "What's wrong with your ankle?"

Madame Pomfrey laughed humorlessly. "What's wrong with it? He walked two miles on it, while it was broken, carrying a human being."

Lily's eyes widened. "You carried me all the way back to Hogwarts?"

James nodded. Lily sat down, too amazed to keep standing.

"What else was wrong with him?" she asked Madame Pomfrey, but keeping her eyes locked with James'.

"He had three broken ribs, second degree burns, and lacerations to his arms and legs." The Matron answered while she bustled around the two beds, tucking the sheets in tighter and running her wand over a few of James' cuts.

Lily's mouth fell open. "How did you do it?" She asked in a whisper.

"It sounds worse than it was." He lied. Lily looked at him disbelievingly. She saw right through him.

He shrugged. "You were unconscious, and you were bleeding, and I was so worried. I mean, I thought I wasn't going to make it a few times, but then I looked down and saw you lying helplessly in my arms and I… I had to keep going." He said, ending quietly, with his eyes down.

He felt a hand on his face, raising it, and looked up to see Lily pulling his face upwards with her good arm, making him look directly into her eyes.

She kissed him slowly and sweetly, taking her time. When she finally did pull away, it left James gasping for breath.

"James Potter, you saved my life. You were incredibly brave, and I can't ever repay you."

"You don't owe me anything."

She shook her head. "Yes I do, and we both know it. I was wrong about you, James, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. You aren't a self-centered, arrogant, egotistical, toe-rag. You aren't a prat. You're wonderful, you're brave, you're strong, and you saved my life."

"Will you go on a date with me, Lily?" He asked, quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

She chuckled softly. "Of course I will."

A grin broke across his features before he could stop it, and then it quickly turned to doubt. "This isn't because you feel like you owe me, is it? Because I don't want a pity date, I want you to date me because you actually want it."

She cupped his cheek with her good hand. They were oblivious to the fact that their family members, and James' best friend, were all watching with rapt attention.

"James, I have liked you for quite a while, but I didn't trust my feelings, because I thought you were never going to change. All it took was today to show me that you are a completely different person than I thought you were. So no, this isn't a pity date. This is a real, I-like-James-bloody-Potter date."

He smiled hugely. She liked him, James-bloody-Potter, extraordinary git, huge prat, and the boy she once swore she would never date, if it was between him and the Giant Squid. She liked _him_.

But she was wrong about something. She didn't owe him a damned thing. Because after staggering after her for seven years, and staggering two miles with her in his arms, she finally agreed to date him. And he was going to spend the rest of his life repayingher, and proving that she wasn't making a huge mistake.

She kept him going, she kept him staggering, and she kept him living. And he was going to make sure she knew that, for the rest of both of their lives. He was going to make sure that every day Lily Evans knew that she was loved unconditionally and irrevocably.

Fin.


End file.
